The Federal Highway Administration has been asked to step into the fray over tolls along the I-190 Niagara Section of the state Thruway.

Rep. Brian Higgins, D-Buffalo, has written to the FHA seeking assistance in a dispute between local leaders and the Thruway Authority.

A lawsuit has been filed by businessman Carl Paladino to have toll barriers coming into and out of the City of Buffalo removed. Revenue collected at those tolls amount to $11 million annually, more than double the operational costs.

Higgins cited previous agreements between the FHA and New York state over toll barriers.

"This is a matter of simple fairness -- Buffalo commuters have supported New York's roadways for far too long, and it's high time that the Federal Highway Administration takes a second look at these agreements," the congressman wrote.

Critics complain that other upstate cities such as Rochester, Syracuse, Binghamton and Albany have no such tolls.
http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/s...l?surround=lfn